Aer Lingus launches new routes from Cork to Nice and Santiago de Compostela

New destinations part of six brand-new routes launching from Cork and Dublin next year

Aer Lingus business development managerIvan Beacom, ground operations staff Christine Conroy and Liza Chervova, Aer Lingus head of global leisure sales Jenny Rafter and Cork Airport MD Niall MacCarthy at the announcement of two new destinations to Nice and Santiago De Compostela. Picture: David Creedon

Aer Lingus will commence two new routes from Cork to Nice in the south of France and Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain - part of six brand-new routes launching next year.

The route to Nice on France's famed Côte d’Azur will operate twice a week, on a Wednesday and Saturday, from May 2 May 2026, with one-way fares available from €69.99.

The flights to Santiago de Compostela, home of the legendary Camino de Santiago trail, will operate twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, from June 1, and on Wednesdays and Saturdays in October 2026, with one-way fares available from €59.99.

Aer Lingus is also starting its new winter service from Cork to Geneva on Saturdays from December 20, through to March 2026.

“Nice and Santiago de Compostela are two fantastic cities, and both open up the options for visitors to explore the wider regions surrounding them – whether that is the Côte d’Azur or Galicia," said Cork Airport head of aviation business development and communications Tara Finn. 

The addition of Nice and Prague today bring to six, the number of new Aer Lingus routes that have been announced within the last 12 months. 

Aer Lingus also announced on Thursday it will begin three new flights from Dublin - twice weekly on Tuesdays and Saturdays to Asturias in northern Spain from May 2026, twice weekly to Montpellier in southern France on Tuesdays and Saturdays from May, and on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays to Norwegian capital Oslo from May 2.

Aer Lingus cabin crew members Rusana Sobolevska and Pedro de Barros. A new transatlantic route from Dublin to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania will commence from May 2026. Picture: Naoise Culhane-no fee

Aer Lingus will also begin a new transatlantic route to Pittsburgh will commence from May 2026, building on the airline’s partnership with NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers.

Aer Lingus’ Dublin-Pittsburgh route will operate four-times weekly on an Airbus A321neo LR aircraft from May 25, offering US customers seamless connections to Paris, Rome, Geneva, Amsterdam, Manchester and London Heathrow through the airline’s Dublin hub.

In October, Aer Lingus began new services from Cork to Prague as part of the airline’s winter schedule. The airline flies twice-weekly from Cork to the Czech capital Prague on Thursdays and Sundays through to March 26, 2026.

Cork Airport managing director Niall MacCarthy, Aer Lingus business development manager Ivan Beacom, and Cork Airport communications manager Barry Holland at Thursday's announcement. -Picture: David Creedon

"We are delighted to see Aer Lingus expanding and freshening their offering from Cork. They have a loyal customer base who will only travel Aer Lingus and insist on Cork, and these new routes will delight that loyal base and more,” said Ms Finn.

Aer Lingus operates over 100 routes from Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Knock to Europe, the UK and North America.

Last month, Aer Lingus recorded an operating profit of €170m between July and September as the airline benefitted from solid revenue and favourable fuel priving, the airline's parent company said.

International Airlines Group (IAG), which owns Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia and Vueling, said the Irish airline's performance reflected a €31m improvement on the same period in 2024.